" captive, through grassy plains, drawn in a four-yoked car with loosened reins, rapt over the deep." That I plucked in my joy but the earth parted beneath, and there the strong lord Polydegmon (Host of Many) sprang forth and in his golden chariot he bore me away, all unwilling, beneath the earth." "A narcissus the wide earth caused to grow yellow as a crocus. Swiftly they traversed their long course, and neither the sea nor river-waters nor grassy glens nor mountain-peaks checked the career of the immortal horses, but they cleft the deep air above them as they went." And she mounted on the chariot, and the strong Argeiphontes took reins and whip in his dear hands and drove forth from the hall, the horses speeding readily. "Aidoneus Polysemantor (the Ruler of Many) openly got ready his deathless horses beneath the golden chariot. So he, that Son of Kronos, of many names, Polysemantor (Ruler of Many), Polydegmon (Host of Many), was bearing her away by leave of Zeus on his immortal chariot." He caught her up reluctant on his golden car and bare her away. "The wide-pathed earth yawned there in the plain of Nysa, and the lord, Polydegmon (Host of Many), with his immortal horses sprang out upon her-the Son of Kronos, Polyonomos (He who has many names). Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th or 6th B.C.) : THANATOS The daimon of Death was a minister of Haides.ĬLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES CHARIOT & HORSES OF HADES RIVERS OF THE UNDERWORLD The gods of the netherworld rivers attended the court of Haides. ONEIROI Haides was sometimes named master of the Oneiroi, daimones of dreams. MENOITES (Menoetes) The daimon-herdsman of Haides tended the god's herd of sable-black cattle. KHARON (Charon) The ferryman of the dead carried souls across the river Akheron to the land of the dead, barring those who had not received the proper burial rites. KERES The vicious daimones of violent death were attendants of Haides. Aiakos was sometimes also described as the doorman of Haides. JUDGES OF THE DEAD Minos, Aiakos (Aeacus) and Rhadamanthys were the three judges of the dead in the underworld who sat beside the throne of Haides. They were also called upon by Haides to accompany ghosts of the wrathful dead in their quest for vengeance. It was the metamorphosed form of his orchardist Askalaphos.ĪSKALAPHOS (Ascalaphus) The daimon orchardist of Haides was transformed into a screech-owl by the goddess Demeter as punishment for reporting Persephone's tasting of the pomegranate seed.ĮRINYES The goddesses of fury oversaw the Dungeons of the Damned and the torture of its inmates. SCREECH-OWL The screech-owl, a bird of ill-omen, was sacred to the god Haides. He was sometimes depicted holding the plant. WHITE POPLAR The poplar tree with its bone-white bark was sacred to the god Haides, it was the metamorphosed form of Leuke, a nymph abducted by the god to Elysium.ĪSPHODEL The grey asphodel was sacred to Haides. In myth Haides lover Minthe was transformed into the herb. MINT The mint was a sacred plant of the Mystery cults. They were the source of the the fruit which trapped Persephone in the underworld.ĬATTLE King Haides possessed a herd of immortal, sable-black cattle which roamed the asphodel fields in the care of the herdsman Menoites.ĬYPRESS The cypress was the tree of mourning, a plant held sacred to the god of the dead. ORCHARD An orchard of pomegranate trees grew beside the underworld palace of the king of the dead. HOUND OF HAIDES The gate of the house of Haides was guarded by the ferocious, three-headed hound Kerberos (Cerberus). Haides, or his doorman Aiakos, kept the golden keys. KEYS The gates of Haides were securely locked to prevent the escape of souls. THRONE The king of the underworld received newly arriving dead in the hall of palace where, seated upon a throne of gold attended by the three Judges, he assigned them their lot in the afterlife. PALACE The golden palace of Haides was located in the dark, dank realm of the underworld. SCEPTRE The king of the dead held a royal sceptre, a staff which could sunder the earth, creating a passage between the worlds of the living and the dead\. It bestowed complete invisibility upon the wearer-making him indiscernable even to the gods. HELM The magical helm of Haides was crafted by the elder Kyklopes (Cyclopes) for use in the Titan-War. This page describes his estate and attributes, sacred plants and animals, and his retinue.ĬHARIOT & HORSES Haides drove a golden chariot drawn by a team of four immortal, sable-black horses. HAIDES (Hades) was the king of the underworld and god of the dead. Pluto, Dis The Chariot of Hades, Apulian red-figure krater C4th B.C., British Museum
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |